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Vallombrosa

Dateline: 11/25/97

This
has been a long, dreadful week with miserable weather, one of those that sets
one to thinking about summer. Of course, come summer, when the thermometer
climbs towards 40 (that's high 90s for the Fahrenheit crowd) one begins to dream
of winter -- or head up into the hills. Vallombrosa is one of the most popular
destinations, a beautiful shaded valley (that's what the word means) above
Pontassieve, in the Casentino region that separates Florence and Arezzo.

It's
easy to reach, either by public transportation or car; if you're driving from
Florence go to Pontassieve, then follow the signs for Vallombrosa. The road
winds through beautiful countryside, then climbs up into pine forests, and
before you know it you'll have reached 900 meters and it will be wonderfully
cool. The road then opens out, with a vibrantly green meadow to the right, and
you've arrived.

What's there to do? There's a monastery at the head of the valley, the
mother house of the Vallombrosian order founded by Saint Giovanni Gualberto in
985 (it was thoroughly rebuilt in the 1600s), which has a nice courtyard, a
pretty church, and a plaque that commemorates a visit from Dante. There's a
restaurant, with tasty but simple fare, next to the monastery. There are the
woods with towering trees to explore. But most of all there's the meadow, which
is the perfect place to settle back and relax, in the shade of a tree. Bring a
blanket, a book, and a picnic lunch, and you're set to weather the hottest
weather.